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We needn't fear the terrorist threat

The discovery of an explosive device in a cargo plane at East Midlands airport has once again forced us to return our thoughts to the threat of Islamic terrorism. Responding to the foiled plot, Home Secretary Theresa May said that al-Qaeda was “not the organisation it once was”, but warned that “the absence of an attack does not mean an absence of threat”.

Since 9/11, al-Qaeda have changed the Western world in many ways: they have pushed Western governments into pursuing different foreign policies than they otherwise would have; they've forced them to put sophisticated security apparatuses in place, and in many ways they've changed how these societies perceive and respond to Islam. Andal-Qaeda have also had a significant influence on individuals, and their fears. After 9/11 many people were wary of travelling by plane; after 7/7 some felt anxious about taking the Tube. Consciously or otherwise, these attacks also changed the way that people felt about the Muslims they met.

So terrorism, as it always has done, has a wider, subtler and more personal influence than simply destroying planes and buildings. And to know whether we're justified or paranoid to fear terrorism, we need to look at what the dangers are that we currently face.